Fred and Alice Stanback Educational Forest and Nature Preserve — Attraction in Spencer

Small preserve. Intimate. A pond with deck, picnic shelters, woods, a rivulet, a few foot bridges. Lovely mile long earthen/ natural trail loop. Not well marked -- no blazes -- so look for footfalls in the leaves ahead. Great place for kids and dogs to come explore with you. It is handicap accessible

There are housing developments around the preserve. Even so, this preserve still offers a touch of solitude and a place of quiet to get away, breathe. Wonder through the woods or as the Japanese say, shinrin yoku = forest bathe. Reconnect...

Quiet local park with wooded nature trails (short). I like it for walking my dog. He loves the wild scents! There are no poop bag dispensers so bring your own. There's a pavilion with picnic tables by the lake. We have a snack and a drink here after our walk (BYO water and dog bowl), and sometimes meet neighbors and other dogs. Not a crowded place. Plenty of parking, but if you live in the neighborhood you can access trails by walking...

We arrived at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday and the gates were locked. We are new to Spencer having recently moved into a 110 year old home in the historic district and we are anxious to get acquainted with our neighborhood. There was no sign posting the Preserve’s hours but according to the website it should have been open...